1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for repelling small mammals, for example voles, from areas used for agricultural or horticultural purposes.
2. The Prior Art
In order to protect such areas in agriculture or horticulture from voles or rats, for example, and to prevent these animals from penetrating into these areas, fences are put up, for example, which project into the ground to a depth of 30 to 40 cm, in order to make it difficult for the animals to get under them.
These fences, which are installed in a fixed manner and dug deeply into the ground, not only have the disadvantage of labor-intensive construction, but also the further disadvantage that if the cultivated area changes, they are not easily moved.
Furthermore, in addition to the attempt to deny the rodents access to the areas mentioned above, an attempt is furthermore made to keep the population density of the small mammals as low as possible. For this purpose, it has already been proposed to set up trough-like structures next to the areas to be protected, which have an access opening in a side wall, which might be provided with a flap that opens only in the access direction, but are configured to be open towards the top.
If an animal now enters this trough, it has no possibility of exiting this trough again, since the side walls are so high that it is impossible to cross them or climb up on them. The small mammals sitting in such traps can then be caught by predators such as raptors, foxes, or cats.